Yericism
Yericism (adj. Yerican) is a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the Yerics, a group of educators and pupils founded by Sorliric teacher Mihael il-Zelum. After establishing several successful schools and academies, the Yerics gradually developed into a spiritual movement and embarked on a religious journey that culminated into the Rivalin, a collection of hundreds of manuscripts from various Yerican theologians and philosophers and which serves as the religion's holy text. One of the central tenets of Yerican theology is the belief God is made of four unique persons or characteristics that correspond to the four traditional elements of the world: fire, water, earth, and air, known as the Quadrinity. This should not be confused with the belief that there are four gods, but rather God's essence is made whole by these four characteristics; the "who" of God. Yericism also teaches that evil exists as a result of humanity's free will and it is ultimately humanity's duty to combat it through the use of good works, faithful obedience to the Twelve Orders, and by spreading God's message throughout the world. Prayer is an important element to Yericism and hundreds of prayers have been constructed for different purposes. Yericism is one of the world's largest religions, with 800 million adherents. The largest Yerican denomination is the Order of Husoporus, named after the Kucian philosopher and which claims direct ancestry from the original Yerics. Other denominations include monoessecenist sects which focus their studies on one particular person (element) of God. These churches are usually considered to be fully united with the Order of Husoporus. Yericism has had an enormous influence on the world and has made innumerable contributions to science, mathematics, technology, and astronomy. The Yerican Calendar used by nearly all countries in the world and four of the top ten highest-ranked universities in the world are Yerican-run. Theology Quadrinity The Quadrinity is the central tenet of Yericism which describes God as four distinct persons which together sustain the universe. The Yerics do not have a name for these four persons individually and are instead commonly represented by the four elements of the world, fire, water, earth, and air. Other quadrants such as the four seasons and the four states of matter are also used to symbolize God. The Katerdron, designed by Zelum himself, visually illustrates the Quadrinity and is a symbol of Yericism. Yerics as chosen messengers Because of the success the educational institutes established by the Yerics, Zelum came to believe that God had chosen them to become his messengers and blessed them with intellect so they could understand God's nature. Zelum and other like-minded educators began placing emphasis on religious studies which led to the creation of the Yerican Religious Society. This group would lay the groundwork of Yerican theology and beliefs. The society's membership increased over the decades, attracting many well-known philosophers and thinkers of the time. Their work resulted in the creation of the Rivalin, a collection of hundreds of essays and manuscripts relating to nature of God and the universe and theories regarding ethics, morality and the purpose of life. According to legend, God sent the white rainbow-maned horse named Asterver as proof that he indeed chose the Yerics as his messengers. Asterver is now the primary symbol of the Yerican religion. Twelve Orders The Twelve Orders are a collection of twelve rules Yerics believe are necessary to live a life as close as possible to God's wishes. The Twelve Orders were written over a course of three centuries by successive generations of Zelum's original society. The Twelve Orders are: Yerics believe that evil does not exist per se but is rather simply the absence of good. Because humans have free will, they are allowed to reject good and commit acts generally considered to be evil. The Twelve Orders are thus meant to be a guide for what is good and moral. Spreading the Orders is considered to be a lifelong duty of Yerics. Practices Recognition Based on the first rule of the Twelve Orders, all Yerics undergo a process known as 'Recognition' where they formally declare their recognition of God as creator and sustainer of the universe. This process usually takes around one year to complete and is initiated around a child's 13th birthday. The new teen begins to study the Rivalin and, if they attend a Yerican school, will be required to take exams testing them of their knowledge of Yerican theology and theory. After they pass, they learn several prayers that they recite at their Hanachel or confirmation ceremony (from the Salic word "hanas" meaning "recognize" and "kchel" meaning "event"), the longest of these prayers being Gejejon's Prayer, written by 3rd century theologian Henris Gejejon. After reciting these prayers, a Yerican professor (i.e. priest) recites other prayers before completing the ceremony by wrapping a gold and purple robe around the teen, confirming they have completed the ritual. History Denominations